1994 procraft just boght it. where do I start?? HELP

[sprayking]

well I learned how to post pics so here are the pics. there is cracking/stressing in the splashwell and separation where the rub rails are on the back of the boat( I assume because the transom is weak?) I had a glass guy take a look at it. he said I need to split the boat and start anew. (which I am trying to avoid). I am not good with electrical so I really do not want to split the boat and put all those wires back together, BUT I do drywall so I know how to float things and apply coats but I do not even know where to start anyhelp would be appreciated. Or do I just take a beating on the 400 dollars I paid for the boat and wait to win the lottery to have a decent boat anyways thanks guys hope the pics help.[IMG][/IMG]

[sprayking]

better pics

[sprayking]

better pics[IMG][http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e..._0355.jpg/IMG] [IMG][http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e..._0346.jpg/IMG] as you can see the flanges are coming apart and I believe its because the transom is cracking. Anybody see this on procrafts or similar boats? Know a way of approaching it? Thx.

[Fishinjunky]

My opinion FULL TOP CAP OFF REPAIR...... I think it's really the best way to fix it right. Look around on here and you probably get a good idea of what is involved. Be sure to look at the archived (OLDER) post.

[bardern]

what is the rest of the hull like, are the stringers soft or foam waterlogged? Did you get a motor with it? What shape is the motor in if you have it?

ball park figure is around probably 3-4k for the work you need. I priced it out on a similar problem. If you need a motor you are probably looking at at least 3k for something decent. I looked at 3 fixerupers before buying.

check out some of the rebuild posts further down. some of these guys that are working out their driveways are doing awesome work.

[sprayking]

I got no motor with it. the rest of the hull is fine and the stringers and bottom of the hull of the boat are great no rot at all. I bought the boat for 500 with no motor. I was hoping to maybe get the work done for 2K but its not looking that way anymore. full top cap removal is just the way to go I know but all that extra work disconnecting and I dont know how easy it will be to remove(decks attached to lower half of boat). anyways everybodys opinion is helpful. my goal is to get it fixed for 2-3k and a motor (used) put in for 6-7thousand that would put me at 10 or 11 thousand in it but with a very strong motor and all the features I need.(have a tracker now, it sucks). 18 footer with strong 150?? maybe I can find one for 10 used. who knows ...thx

[drfish]

Unless you're experienced with bass boats or have some sentimental attachment to this boat you'd probably be better off getting rid of it and looking for a used rig. 10-11K will get you in a pretty decent rig. You're looking at quite a few hours to replace that transom and then when it's apart you'll want to replace other things and the cost will just keep going up.

[bardern]

could you part out the boat and trailer out and sell what you can on eBay or local classified? you could really make quite a bit of money on parts alone. the trailer itself would bring a good dollar.

[RoFromMo]

I agree with the..........$10-$11K will get you a good used boat.

I paid $9200 and put about $1K into it.

[drfish]

Nice looking rig Ro. You're absolutely right, there are an awful lot of good rigs out there that can be purchased without breaking the bank. You just have to do your homework on what to look for, study a lot of ads to see what the going price is, and then be patient until that good one comes along.

[Rmart30]

Id agree that if you cant do a cap off on it yourself , cost wise youd be better off selling and finding a complete rig. For 8-10k you can find some very nice boats if you look hard enough.
Just out of curiosity Id ask the shop that quoted you the repair cost what they would give you for the boat...... I know the local glass shop here buys boats like that to refinish during their slow times...
Either that or I would Ebay it.....

[North Texas Fiberglass]

You can cut the top cap in the back, and only remove the last 3 feet of the top cap. That way you don't have to split the entire boat.

It will save a little money, but they will have to cut through the metal flake to do it. So in that case, we put a racing stripe with gelcote over the cut. It isn't a perfect repair, but in your case, you are looking for a good fishing boat, and one that isn't a show piece. We do lots of transom's this way.

Here is a picture of a Procraft we did this way.

[Skeet'r89]

Mike, that does look like an easy way to get to the transom, but wouldn't the repair to the top cap be harder to repair ( for someone not familiar ) than trying to remove the whole top cap?